The global food system faces a range of economic, social, political, and environmental challenges. In this unit you will explore emerging challenges in agricultural systems in Australia and around the world, and assess opportunities for development of sustainable management solutions. Case studies will be drawn from a range of contexts across the globe, with a particular emphasis on resource-limited settings, including low- and middle-income countries. You will explore the effects of resource availability and management actions on primary production and discuss the social, economic, political, and ecological dimensions associated with them. You will undertake an investigation into a current challenge confronting a food or fibre production system and offer practical strategies for sustainable agricultural systems.

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Student feedback

The use of local case studies in assessment was well received.

Retain the case study focus in assessment 3 and refine to assess application of understanding developed in the unit to specific sustainability case studies.

Feedback from Unit coordinator reflections

The unit covers a broad range of topics with limited time spent examining ways that graduates may use the knowledge from the unit to contribute to more sustainable practices.

Some of the content in the unit could be presented as prerecorded material, with more class time spent working through case studies of application of sustainability concepts and principles in the tasks that graduates will perform in roles within industry.